


Dismissed

by TheBookWriter



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Attempted Murder, BAMF Sherlock Holmes, Blackmail, Bubble Bath, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, M/M, Parentlock, don't mess with Sherlock's family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:00:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23497912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBookWriter/pseuds/TheBookWriter
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

"Hey, Papa?"

"Yes Artemis, what is it?" Sherlock answered, not looking up from the tests he was grading.

"Have you ever had any difficult students?" Artemis asked.

Sherlock smirked. "I've had many bad students, son."

"So what would you say is the best way to deal with a bad student?" Artemis said. "Like, what do you do when there's some prick acting out during a lecture or just generally being an arse?"

At the word "arse," Sherlock set down his pen. Raising his eyes to Artemis, he leaned back a bit in his chair. He seemed surprised.

"What I do when a student is making an arse of themselves?"

"Yeah," Artemis said. "How do you deal with them?"

"Well..." Sherlock said with a cheeky grin. "Your Daddy doesn't approve of this, but usually when my students are making a ruckus, I like to give them a taste of their own medicine."

"I see," Artemis said, but he wasn't smiling.

He's being serious, Sherlock thought. Something must have happened.

"What's wrong, Artemis?" he said. All humor was gone as he leaned forward now, looking his son dead in the eyes. "Is there someone giving you trouble at school?"

"No, no it's nothing like that," Artemis said quickly. "I'm just curious, that's all."

Sherlock wasn't buying his response. Artemis knew this, and decided to give him an explanation.

"I uh- I overheard one of the teachers talking with the dean today," he said nervously. "Um... apparently there's been some trouble."

"Go on," Sherlock said patiently. "It's all right, Artemis. I'm listening."

"Well, um, you know my Literature professor, Mr. Attenton?"

Sherlock nodded. "Yes, what about him?"

"Umm," Artemis faltered. "Well, he's the one who was talking to the dean. The student he's having issues with is a new kid who moved to the area recently. Anyways, um... Mr. Attenton seem really worried. Scared out of his mind, actually."

"Did Mr. Attenton say anything about why he was so upset?" Sherlock asked.

"No. At least, I didn't hear anything. They noticed I was standing in the hall and stepped inside the dean's office."

"That's it?" Sherlock asked. "You didn't hear anything else?"

"No. I mean-" Artemis stammered. "It probably wasn't anything, right? Maybe I just misunderstood what they meant?"

Sherlock didn't respond. His eyes had narrowed slightly, and it was clear his mind was going over everything that had just been said.

"Papa?" Artemis said cautiously.

"Oh yes, you're quite right," Sherlock said, as though he were thinking aloud. "It's likely nothing to be concerned about."

Instantly the tension in Artemis melted at these words. Right. It was just some silly gossip. There was nothing to be worried about.

"Artemis, you wouldn't happen to know the name of the student, would you?"

"Well, yes, I think so." Artemis hesitated. "Pa, you're not actually taking this seriously, are you?"

"Oh no," Sherlock waved a dismissive hand before letting it rest on his son's shoulder. 

"However I see no harm in looking into it. It may even bring you some peace of mind."

"Oh, okay," Artemis said. "Do you think we should tell Dad about this?"

"I'll handle telling Daddy," Sherlock said with a reassuring pat on Artemis's shoulder. "You just finish with your homework, all right?"

"Yeah, sure. And Papa?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for listening to me. I know it'll probably turn out to be nothing but I just felt I should tell you anyway."

"Don't worry," Sherlock said. "And you know, if this does turn out to be more serious, which I doubt it will, but if it does, I promise I'll try and help Mr. Attenton."

"Thanks Papa. He's a good teacher. Whatever's going on, he doesn't deserve it."

"No," Sherlock agreed. "He doesn't."


	2. Chapter 2

The following day after work, Sherlock decided to pay a visit to Mr. Attenton a visit. Having called John to let him know that he'd be home late, Sherlock had then arranged to meet Mr. Attenton at the school after the students had been dismissed.  
When he arrived at the classroom, a few things were immediately clear to Sherlock. The first and most obvious was that Mr. Attenton hadn't slept much in the past week. There were dark shadows under his eyes, and there was obvious paranoia in his body language as he quickly ushered Sherlock inside.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mr. Holmes," he said. His speech was nervous and brisk, and his eyes were constantly flickering towards the door.

"Anything for an old friend," Sherlock answered with a brief smile. "Now, who is this student that you're so worried about?"

For a few seconds, Mr. Attenton was silent. Sherlock could see the conflict behind those worried, tired eyes. To tell or not to tell?

"Sean," he said, choosing to address his friend by name. "I can't help you if you don't tell me everything."

"Would you mind if I asked you something first?" Mr. Attenton said nervously.

"Of course."

"Who was it that informed you about my situation?"

Sherlock answered with a slight smile. "My son, Artemis. He respects you a great deal and thought it would be prudent to mention that you were having difficulties lately."

"He's a good kid," Attenton said quietly. "Smart. Heart of gold too."

"Of course he is," Sherlock said. "That's why he couldn't stand by when clearly you're feeling distressed about another student. So what is it exactly that this student has done to make you feel uneasy in your own work environment?"

"It's hard to explain," Mr. Attenton said. "At first it was small things about him. At the start of term, he showed up to my classroom very early- an hour before it was due to start to be exact. Anyways, uh... he seemed very polite, very intelligent, but there was something that just seemed off."

"In what way did he seem off to you?"

"That's just it, I didn't know why at the time," Attenton said. "But it seemed... rehearsed. As if he'd done all that just to impress me. I realize that sounds ridiculous," he added quickly. "But it all seemed weird. And then, something happened."

"Go on," Sherlock said.

"Later that day when he was introducing himself to class, this other kid, Benji, interrupted him. Normally when that happens kids will just shrug it off, but after class was over, I think Markus must have said or done something, because the next day Benji was quiet for the whole hour. Between you and I, it wouldn't surprise me if Markus threatened him in some way. Of course at the time I didn't think much of it, but I'm starting to think otherwise now."

"There's more, isn't there?" Sherlock said.

"Yes, yes there is," Attenton said, once again throwing a glance at the door. "That afternoon when I was at the Chess Club, Markus showed up. He's an excellent player mind you, in fact one of the best I've seen. In next to no time at all he was playing against Ryan, our best." Mr Attenton went quiet for a moment. "That's... that's when I started to feel there might be something wrong with Markus."

"Why?"

"Well, he managed to beat Ryan, but when he wasn't awarded first seat, he became very angry about it. He began insisting that he should have been given first seat, regardless of the fact that Ryan has been part of the group longer and therefore has earned his position due to seniority."

"That does seem odd that he would be upset over such a small thing," remarked Sherlock. 

"My thoughts exactly," Mr. Attenton answered. "But I never would have imagined what he did next. Even now I still can't get my head around it."

"What do you mean?"

Mr. Attenton sighed. He was quiet for several seconds before answering.

"The next day during Chemistry class, there was... an accident."

"Accident?" repeated Sherlock.

"Markus did something to Ryan," Mr. Attenton said quietly. "They were learning about alkali metals and their highly reactive properties. Somehow, Ryan and Markus ended up as lab partners." Mr. Attenton drew in a breath. His hands were shaking. "There was was an explosion. Ryan ended up having to be put in the hospital. Gerry..." he swallowed, and Sherlock realized that he was fighting against tears. "Gerry was fired."

"You were close?" Sherlock said.

"Yes," Attenton said weakly. "We've worked together for years. He's a good man. He didn't deserve this. And Ryan couldn't be in the hospital right now, either. I've been teaching him for years and he's never done anything wrong to deserve something like this."

"I'm very sorry, Sean," Sherlock said.

"So am I," Attenton replied. There was bitterness in his voice now. "But you know what makes it worse? When Markus showed up for Chess Club later that night, he wasn't even the slightest bit concerned about Ryan. All he cared about was the fact he would be able to take his place in the first seat. That son of a bitch!"

"What happened after that?"

"Nothing. I went home and graded the papers. Which reminds me: Markus didn't just write your typical page-long essay. What he gave me was basically a book itself with how long it was."

Here Attenton paused again, but Sherlock waited patiently for him to continue.

"I gave him a Bee Plus on it," Attenton said softly. "He... didn't take it well. I saw the change in his face even before he asked me about it after class. He ended up making the argument that if a Bee Plus is in fact not far from an A, then why couldn't I just give it to him? But he was very aggressive and defensive throughout the conversation. Adamant that he was correct, even superior to me, despite the fact you and I both know I earned my degree at a distinguished university.  
The next morning, I found that both of my car's back tires had been slashed. I'm certain I hadn't hit run over anything the night before, so I was miffed at the fact I'd have to use my bicycle to get to work on time. But guess who asked if all was well when I arrived late to the class? Markus. The little prick was practically grinning to see me so flustered and out of sorts."

"You believe he was behind your tires being slashed?" Sherlock said.

"No, no. Just a hunch. A strong one at that. Also, I believe I made a grave mistake that morning."

"What was that?"

"I mentioned to my students that I had been working on an application the night before. It's an ambition of mine to teach at a university one day as you do, but I feel that mentioning it in front of Markus was a terrible lapse in judgement on my part. After all, if my paranoia turns out to be somehow correct and he is in fact responsible for what happened to Ryan, who's to say what he's capable of doing next?"

Sherlock said nothing. His eyes were closed, and it was clear that he was concentrating. Finally, he opened his eyes and spoke.

"I think I know a way we can catch Markus out," he said.

"Really? How?"

"It's simple," Sherlock said. "Mr. Attenton, what you are dealing with is a dangerous mind, but a predictable one all the same. I think that it is very likely that Markus will attempt to sabotage your application if given the chance."

"So you're saying I should let him?"

"Yes," Sherlock answered calmly. "Leave your laptop on your desk here tomorrow night. In the meantime, I will be keeping watch on the school. If he does show up, I will let you know right away."

"Uh okay," Mr. Attenton said. "Wow. This- this is incredible. Thanks."

"No thanks is necessary," Sherlock said. "Like I said, you're an good man and my son respects you. The least I can do is help you out."

"One last thing before I go," he added as he stood up. "Do you know which hospital Ryan was put in after the incident?"

"Yes, I do," Attenton said. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a lined sheet of paper. "Here, I wrote it down."

When Sherlock saw the name of the hospital, his mouth twitched in a brief smile. "Thank you."

"What are you planning to do with that?" Mr. Attenton said as Sherlock walked with him to the door. 

"I'm going to pay Ryan a visit," Sherlock explained. "It may not work, but I can try to get his statement. We'll need it if we're to prove Markus is a legitimate threat."

"All right, thanks again."

"Don't thank me," Sherlock said. "Thank my son. If it weren't for his big heart and his constant looking out for people, I may have found out about this too late."

"Yeah, yeah I know, but..."

To Sherlock's alarm, he saw tears in Mr. Attenton's eyes.

"This _will_ be over soon," he said. "I'm a man of my word, Mr. Attenton."


	3. Chapter 3

By the time Sherlock left the school, it had already grown quite late. The afternoon had brought in a steady deluge of rain, but Sherlock wasn't at all bothered by this. While on his way home, he decided to pick up some Thai take out, knowing that John and the children would appreciate having something warm and rich to eat on what would undoubtedly be a dreary evening. 

When at last he was in sight of the house, Sherlock couldn't help but smile when he noticed that all the lights in the house had been turned on. Quickly, he stepped out of the car and hurried inside, carrying the several bags of take out with him. As he approached the door, Sherlock's smile widened as he heard Mickey's excited barking from within. Moments later the door was opened, and he was greeted by Emma, the youngest of the three children. 

"Hi, Papa!" she said brightly. "Here, let me help with that!"

"Thank you, sweet heart." 

As Emma eagerly took the bags from his outstretched hand, he saw her take a peek at the contents. Her eyes widened with delight. "Oh good, Daddy was just talking about ordering some of this!" she said. "He's going to be very happy about this." She hugged Sherlock. "Thanks, Papa!"

"You're quite welcome, dear," Sherlock said as he pulled the front door closed behind them.

Together, they made their way to the kitchen, which was located towards the rear of the house and which merged with the living room area. There they found John sitting in his armchair, with Emma's collie pup, Mickey, lying at his feet. When Sherlock entered the room, Mickey quickly trotted over, and Sherlock gave him an affectionate pat on his head.

"Sorry, boy, not for you," he said with an amused smile as Jumper sniffed at the bags of food. 

John, having gotten up from his chair, came over to join Sherlock and Emma as they stood at the table, unloading the contents of the bags. He seemed a bit tired as he embraced Sherlock, but it was to be expected. John's health had never been the same since the incident in Russia, and it was made even more apparent after long days like this one. But he was nevertheless happy as he set the table with forks and plates.

"Emma," Sherlock said after a few moments, "Would you please tell Artemis and Jenna to come downstairs?"

"Sure, Papa," Emma said, and promptly walked off to go fetch her siblings.

When she was gone, Sherlock embraced John. John, not expecting the hug, took a few seconds to respond before putting his arms around Sherlock.

"Everything all right, Sherlock?"

"Hmm? Oh yes," Sherlock murmured, still holding John close against his chest. "I just missed you today, that's all. Well, that and it's been a long day, hasn't it?"

John smiled. "I missed you too. And you're right. It has been a long day." He pressed a small kiss to Sherlock's cheek. "At least now we can unwind. In fact, how do you feel about taking a hot bath later?"

"Sounds like just what the doctor ordered."

John smirked.

.....

Later that night after dinner was over and the dishes had been cleared away, Sherlock and John found themselves in each other's arms, submerged in deliciously heated water in the bathtub. Peaceful silence surrounded them, with only the occasional dripping sound of the faucet. Having taken the time to carefully wash each other's bodies, both Sherlock and John were now growing sleepy. They sat in the tub with their eyes closed, talking quietly.

"So what was the reason that you ended up arriving late?" John said, his voice low and sleepy.

"Nothing much, really. Just some work that needed to be wrapped up." Sherlock ended his statement with a small kiss to John's forehead, earning a small smile from John, which he didn't have to see to know was there. "What about you? You seemed a little out of it during dinner."

"Oh, I'm all right, Sherlock," John murmured.

Despite his assurances to the contrary, Sherlock knew there was more that John wasn't telling him. But he decided not to press the issue. John was tired, and all Sherlock wanted to do was take him to bed and fall asleep with John wrapped in his arms. He opened his eyes.

"Come on," he said, taking John's hand in his. "Time for bed."

By the time they had settled under the duvet, the rain had increased to a steady drumming that was as soothing as a lullaby. John soon fell asleep after burrowing against Sherlock's chest, but Sherlock remained awake for some time afterward, watching and listening as John slept. He could never get enough of serene moments like this; with the warm weight of John's body against his own or the gentle sounds of John's breath.

"I love you, John," he whispered in the dark. "I love you so much."


End file.
